It can be challenging to know if we have fully repented. Have you ever struggled to know whether or not you have fully repented of something? In his first letter to the Corinthians, the Apostle Paul chastised some of the Corinthian Saints for their sinfulness. To his joy and satisfaction, Paul later received word that the Corinthian Saints had experienced true repentance. This lesson can help you understand an important component of true repentance and help you come closer to Jesus Christ.
Godly Sorrow
Read the following scenario. In an interview for a temple recommend for marriage, a young woman confesses some past sins to her bishop. After further discussion, the bishop comes to understand that the young woman has not truly repented of her sins and that her sins are serious enough to make her unworthy of a temple recommend. The bishop explains that the young woman will have to wait to receive a recommend until she has fully repented. She is alarmed, claiming she has repented because she hasn’t repeated any of those sins for a long time. The bishop explains that merely stopping the sin is not complete repentance, and he invites her to sincerely begin the process of true repentance.
The young woman explains to her bishop that she is very upset because she has already told other people about the wedding and made plans to celebrate. She’s concerned about the embarrassment of a delay in her wedding plans and about how she’ll tell her fiancé and parents. She asks whether there is a way for her to move forward with the wedding as planned and continue working through the repentance process afterward.
Based on the young woman’s response to the bishop, what does she seem to be most concerned about?
Why might her focus make it hard to fully repent?
Ponder what this young woman does not fully understand about repentance. As you continue this lesson, look for a principle that would help this young woman. Also ponder if you need this principle in your own repentance.
Godly sorrow
One of Paul’s purposes in writing his earlier letter to the Corinthians was to encourage certain individuals to repent. In his follow-up letter, Paul commended those he corrected for their sincere repentance and taught about an essential part of repentance.
Read 2 Corinthians 7:8–11, looking for insights Paul offers about repentance that might help the woman in the scenario. (Note that the word repent as used in verse 8 means to regret.) You could also watch the Bible video “Godly Sorrow Worketh Repentance” (1:40), available on ChurchofJesusChrist.org, and follow along in your scriptures.
For insights from the Book of Mormon about godly sorrow, read Alma 36:12–13; 42:29.
What insights did you gain that would be helpful to the woman in the scenario?
How would those teachings be helpful to you?
One truth you may have discovered is that godly sorrow leads to sincere repentance.
What other type of sorrow did Paul mention in verse 10?
What did you see in the scenario that suggests the kind of sorrow the young woman was feeling?
Create two columns in your study journal by drawing a line down the middle of a page. Write Godly Sorrow at the top of one column and Worldly Sorrow at the top of the other.
Add your thoughts to the following questions under each heading.
What does Paul teach in verses 8–10 about the difference between Godly and worldy sorrow?
What additional differences do you think there are between the two types of sorrow?
Read the following statements, and look for additional insights about godly sorrow and worldly sorrow. Add these insights to your chart.
Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles gave this definition of godly sorrow:
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Official portrait of Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2010, August.
[Godly sorrow means] to feel profound sadness and remorse for behavior that added pain and suffering to the Savior, as our soul removes any denial or excuse. …
Perhaps the greatest awakening of this life to a spiritually sensitive son or daughter of God is the uniquely personal realization that Jesus Christ’s payment for sin is very real and that His suffering is not just for everyone else—but also for you and me! … As we spiritually understand that He has suffered for our sins, we feel sadness for our part of His pain. We realize that it is part of the plan of our Father, but we are overwhelmed with the gift He is offering to us. This wonder, this appreciation, this adoration of a Savior who has done this for us, takes us to our knees as our spirit is filled with godly sorrow.
(Neil L. Andersen, The Divine Gift of Forgiveness [2019], 149, 150)
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, then of the First Presidency, stated the following about godly sorrow:
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Official portrait of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 2006. Called as Second Counselor in the First Presidency, 3 February 2008. Made official portrait in 2008 replacing portrait taken in 2004.
Godly sorrow inspires change and hope through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation.
Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.
(Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “You Can Do It Now!,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2013, 56)
Watch the video “Repentance Is a Process That Brings Peace” from time code 0:00 to 1:39 to see how one person described her experience with godly sorrow and how it blessed her life.
1. Using what you have learned, answer the following questions:
What is Godly sorrow?
What is worldly sorrow?
2. Reflect back on the scenario between the young woman and her bishop, then answer the following question.
What could you share with the young woman about Jesus Christ and godly sorrow that could help her invite the blessings of repentance?
Reflect for a moment about your own efforts to repent. Consider what the Savior felt and experienced in suffering for your sins. What could you do to more fully open your heart to feel godly sorrow and invite the Savior’s healing power into your life? Consider writing your response to this question in a personal journal or notebook.
Optional: Want to Learn More?
How can I better understand the difference between godly sorrow and worldly sorrow?
While serving as an Area Seventy, Elder D. Chad Richardson stated:
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Final offiicial portrait of Elder D. Chad Richardson of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy, 2002. Released at the April 2010 general conference, effective May 1, 2010.
A main difference between [godly sorrow and worldly sorrow] is their source. Worldly sorrow is promoted by Satan. It is the sorrow of being caught, of not being able to continue sinning, or of turning against oneself with self-loathing or disdain.
Godly sorrow, on the other hand, is sorrow given as a gift from God to those who are willing to receive it. Godly sorrow leads us to a full recognition of the magnitude of our sins but with the knowledge that we can become free of them.
In September 2019, the New Era magazine printed an infographic based on the teachings of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles that might help you further distinguish between godly and worldly sorrow. Find it here: Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “Godly Sorrow,” New Era, Sept. 2019, 32–33.